Support to reduce waiting times

Waiting Times Improvement Plan funding awarded.

Health boards are being supported to drive down the length of time patients wait for procedures through an investment of almost £27 million.

This funding is the initial tranche of investment allocated through the £850 million Waiting Times Improvement Plan that aims to substantially and sustainably improve waiting times for outpatient and inpatient appointments and day cases by Spring 2021.

The additional investment for 2018/19, has been allocated to territorial health boards and the Golden Jubilee National Hospital and is being used to increase workforce, purchase new equipment and create additional clinics in the evenings and at weekends.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman announced the initial allocation of funding during a visit to the Golden Jubilee, which has used the additional investment to install a new CT scanner. This will help double capacity, with an extra 10,500 procedures planned in the next financial year at the Golden Jubilee.

Ms Freeman said:

“I want to stop anyone from waiting too long for treatment, and that is why I launched our new £850 million Waiting Times Improvement Plan in October last year.